Having problems understanding - Bridging letters - Stencil font

[blrose88]

I am having problems understanding how to connect the inside of letters to the outside, so they do not fall off during cutting.

Thanks for any help,
Nick

Dove 4..dxf

(48.68 KiB) Downloaded 54 times

Dove 4..dxf

(48.68 KiB) Downloaded 54 times

[adbuch]

Nick - here is one way to do it. We call these stencil letters.
David

60 Dove Hill Drive.dxf

(35.28 KiB) Downloaded 57 times

60 Dove Hill Drive.dxf

(35.28 KiB) Downloaded 57 times

[blrose88]

Is that the font that you make, or can you download it? Thank you for the help.

[adbuch]

Is that the font that you make, or can you download it? Thank you for the help.

I modified your existing letters by drawing lines and trimming away the excess to create the stencil effect so the centers don't fall out.
I used Design Edge, so very quick and easy for me. I will see if I can get Tom to show us a video of how to do this with Inkscape.
David

[adbuch]

Nick, here is how I would edit the letters using Inkscape. You can follow the sequence of screen shots below. I first used Convertio online file converter to convert your dxf to svg for Inkscape.

Are you planning for this sign to be rectangular, or will it be shaped like the mountain/hill with the dove on top?
David

[adbuch]

[blrose88]

David, I am planning on cutting out the dove on the hill with the text cut out of it for my friend to put in his yard. He is going to paint and mount it to a wood frame. Thank you so much for the in-depth help and pictures!

Thank you again,
Nick

[acourtjester]

I will be posting a different method soon, I made a video and uploaded it to the Google drive and it takes a little time for it to clear for downloading.

[adbuch]

Here is another method to achieve a similar result using the "Path, Cut Path" tool combined with drawing lines to close in the create closed paths.
Then new nodes can be added to individual segments to facilitate shaping each segment to create a smooth curved path as desired.
David

[adbuch]

Here is what I would image it would look like when finished.
David

60 Dove Hill Drive Yard Sign.dxf

(38.87 KiB) Downloaded 49 times

60 Dove Hill Drive Yard Sign.dxf

(38.87 KiB) Downloaded 49 times

[acourtjester]

I posted this today and it was removed, try to help and someone removes it.

[adbuch]

Tom - that is a great instructive video showing how to create stencil letters using the "difference" tool. For the difference tool to work, both items need to be paths. My problem is that when I convert the dxf file originally posted by the OP to svg and open with Inkscape, it will not let me convert the letters and numbers to paths in order to use the difference tool. I can ungroup and then edit nodes and draw lines, maybe you can see what I am doing wrong in my attempts to convert to paths.
David

[adbuch]

I am having problems understanding how to connect the inside of letters to the outside, so they do not fall off during cutting.

Thanks for any help,
Nick

Nick - please post your original svg file you created in Inkscape. This will be helpful in illustrating Tom's method using the difference tool to create stencil letters by modifying the letters you have already created.
Thanks,
David

[blrose88]

Here is my original dxf. I hope this helps.

[blrose88]

Here is the svg.

[acourtjester]

Ok it took a few pokes at the bear to see what was the reason. The way the image was stored the numbers and letter parts were not combined. May be due to the software used to draw it. But after combining the inside and out side of the "0" the stencil work can be done with the difference tool.

dove 5.JPG (13.85 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 5.JPG (13.85 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 6.JPG (23.55 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 6.JPG (23.55 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 7.JPG (20.16 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 7.JPG (20.16 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 8.JPG (21.22 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 8.JPG (21.22 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 9.JPG (22.98 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

dove 9.JPG (22.98 KiB) Viewed 1750 times

[adbuch]

Ok it took a few pokes at the bear to see what was the reason. The way the image was stored the numbers and letter parts were not combined. May be due to the software used to draw it. But after combining the inside and out side of the "0" the stencil work can be done with the difference tool.
dove 5.JPG
dove 6.JPG
dove 7.JPG
dove 8.JPG
dove 9.JPG

Tom - which file did you start with to do the editing shown? If I can open the same file you are working on, it will be easier for me to understand exactly what you are doing.
Thanks,
David

[acourtjester]

Here is the svg.

this one the svg file With the difference you can only use it with a single item, this is why the inside and outside need to be combined first. Then it is a single item and you can move the other item (stencil bar) over it to have the bar removed. This is the same if you want to have a bar under a group of letters you want to attach the letters need to be combined to join (union) the bar to the letters. Like you are making an address sign for your home.

dove 2.svg

(22.79 KiB) Downloaded 45 times

dove 2.svg

(22.79 KiB) Downloaded 45 times

[adbuch]

Here is the svg.

this one the svg file
dove 2.svg

OK Tom. I will have a look at it and see if I can follow your process.
Thanks,
David

[adbuch]

Tom - I followed your process for Inkscape editing using your Combine and Break Apart tips. Here is what I did and my final result. Hopefully others may find this useful with their own Inkscape projects.
David

dove 2 Inkscape edit results.dxf

(217.44 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

dove 2 Inkscape edit results.dxf

(217.44 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

[adbuch]

Here is the svg.

this one the svg file With the difference you can only use it with a single item, this is why the inside and outside need to be combined first. Then it is a single item and you can move the other item (stencil bar) over it to have the bar removed. This is the same if you want to have a bar under a group of letters you want to attach the letters need to be combined to join (union) the bar to the letters. Like you are making an address sign for your home.
dove 2.svg
adbuch.JPG
adbuch2.JPG
adbuch3.JPG
adbuch4.JPG

Tom - your example is also great for showing how to add the bar under the letters with letters attached. I think you combine all the letters first, then use the difference tool to attach to the lower bar. Lots of fun to do and learn about!
David

[acourtjester]

exactly After thinking about it it seems that Inkscape's letters and numbers are formed with an inside and outside if it has a closed center. this acts like 2 paths when "Object to Path" is selected, so they need to be combined before using the difference tool and others like union. This can be checked by clicking on a letter with an inside like O and see if the inside is separate from the outside, seen in the first image I posted last. And your forth image above.

[TJS]

Here is the svg.

this one the svg file With the difference you can only use it with a single item, this is why the inside and outside need to be combined first. Then it is a single item and you can move the other item (stencil bar) over it to have the bar removed. This is the same if you want to have a bar under a group of letters you want to attach the letters need to be combined to join (union) the bar to the letters. Like you are making an address sign for your home.
dove 2.svg
adbuch.JPG
adbuch2.JPG
adbuch3.JPG
adbuch4.JPG

Great info Tom. One thing I want to add when doing this. You see the areas "a, d b and U" . There is the little gap at the bottom of those letters where you combine it to the box. When you go to make your cut plan; put these in its own layer so you can do those first. Also sometimes Sheetcam will warn you if you do an inside offset that there is not "enough room" to do in inside offset.Sometime for these I do no lead in other times I use no offset and the warning goes away.
T.J.

[acourtjester]

Good point TJ, I do a similar thing when I am center punching holes to be drill when cutting a group of parts. No offset just quick plasma on then off.

[adbuch]

Here is the svg.

this one the svg file With the difference you can only use it with a single item, this is why the inside and outside need to be combined first. Then it is a single item and you can move the other item (stencil bar) over it to have the bar removed. This is the same if you want to have a bar under a group of letters you want to attach the letters need to be combined to join (union) the bar to the letters. Like you are making an address sign for your home.
dove 2.svg
adbuch.JPG
adbuch2.JPG
adbuch3.JPG
adbuch4.JPG

Great info Tom. One thing I want to add when doing this. You see the areas "a, d b and U" . There is the little gap at the bottom of those letters where you combine it to the box. When you go to make your cut plan; put these in its own layer so you can do those first. Also sometimes Sheetcam will warn you if you do an inside offset that there is not "enough room" to do in inside offset.Sometime for these I do no lead in other times I use no offset and the warning goes away.
T.J.